I think that we have different definitions for the word. To Americans, Individualism is a way of self-expression, a way to show that you are different from everyone else. An individualist makes their own decisions and does not blindly follow directions. Often we veiw leaders as individualists because they were not afraid to say what they thought. So yes we view this with value, because it is an important skill to stick up for what you believe in. We don't think that individualism is selfish because it doesn't harm anyone. Individualism is not putting yourself above everyone else, it it simply sticking up for your beliefs.

What does individualism mean to you? Is there another way that you would describe someone who stick up for themself and is not afraid to be unique?

Hello! I would first like to say that, while cheering for the "American side", I am from Spain (but I have been studying in the US for the last five and a half years). I agree with Kasey's comments and would also like to add my own comments to Sébastien's questions. Sébastien, I follow your numbering:

I think that Americans look up to people who try to make the best out of their situation, who try to succeed in life by their own efforts, and in that sense Americans love individualism. Individualism is not seen as a synonym of egoism, since Americans also value helping those in need. In fact, I was surprised by the amount of volunteerism, charity, and donations that goes on in the US. Americans prefer to help in an individual manner, through private contributions that allow them to express their own interests and beliefs, rather than through governmental action.

American individualism does not mean that we do not do team work, in fact we do a lot. Individualism is opposed to homogeneization, to following the crowd without thinking for oneself. Americans do not like homogeneization (although some American politicians probably do).

I agree with Kasey's answer to this. The word "individualism" is not a synonym of "egoism", but rather of "individuality" and "uniqueness". It has the connotation of being active and not passive, thus it is associated with "initiative".

I also have some questions for the French students:

Is trying to succeed independently in life regarded as negative in France? Is homogeneization desirable?

From your answers, it seems that you regard "individualism" negatively. However, in your answers for "United States" and "France", you mention Obama and Sarkozy, respectively. In contrast, we do not mention the presidents, but seem to associate the countries with abstract or general concepts (e.g., "freedom" for the US). How is this apparent French association of countries with individuals compatible with your negative view of individualism?

When I talked about people helping each other in the US I was thinking of philanthropy, volunteerism, and donations. Correct me if I am wrong, but I perceive that philantropy is very important in the US. There have been many famous philantropists, such as Rockefeller or, nowadays, Bill Gates. These are people who have made big fortunes through industry or commerce and who decide to use their money to help others. While Rockefeller or Gates are multimillionaires, it is not uncommon to find Americans of all levels of income (middle-class and up) who often make donations (small or big). Many things in the US are supported by such kind of individual contributions. This is why many buildings here are named after rich people who funded them, such as Norman Foster's recent addition to the MIT campus, the Stata Center, named after the main donor. Another local example is our excellent Boston Symphony Orchestra, which relies on private sponsors and private donations, both large and small. Typically, many music aficionados that can afford it donate some amount of money to the orchestra on a regular basis (in addition to buying tickets). Many institutions rely on philanthropy and donations, such as the National Public Radio, most museums, many scholarships for students, etc.

I don't know much about this topic, and would like to hear what other people (from the French or the American side) think. I am under the impression that in France the government plays a more important role, and funds many of these activities using taxes. Is philanthropy also important in France?

Sébastien, I would also like to follow up on your comment about politics. People here are also very critical with politicians, but I would guess that this is less so than in France. I did my undergraduate in Spain, and there students used to talk about politics quite a lot, in a very open and critical manner. I find that at MIT (graduate) students talk about politics much less in their free time, and they also tend to be more careful, more neutral (or "politically correct"), and often less passionate in their opinions.

Pauline and Sébastien, thanks for your clarifications. I see your point, but I still don't understand very well the French view of individualism. Americans want to do the best out of their lives. And yes, this involves competition. In a class, most students would like to get top grades, and this is something to be proud of. But being at the top of the class means doing better than the other students. People want to get the best jobs, or climbing up the ladder, which means other people not getting there. Many people want to be rich and live in luxury, but for some to be "rich" others have to be "poor", since if everyone had lots of money things would just cost a lot for everyone. So I could even subscribe that, in some sense, many Americans would be ok with "marching over others to succeed", although we generally don't describe our own attitude in such a harsh way.

So how does your different perspective about individualism reflect on this? Are French people less competitive? Do French people tend to give up their personal benefits for the common good more than Americans do? Or is it just that Americans are more open when talking about competition and individual success?

Pauline, yes, I think those are the American associations to the term "individualism".

Sébastien, I don't think that an individualist is necessarily a loner; in fact, an individualist can be very popular; for example, a leader. An individualist thinks independently, has initiative and originality, and those qualities may make him or her very attractive to other people.

It appears then that "individualisme" and "individualism" are not a good translation of each other. I would say that English words close to your understanding of "individualisme" are egoism, egocentrism, or selfishness. Maybe there is also a French word that has positive connotations and corresponds to our "individualism"?

Beyond the semantic difference, I suspect that the difference in connotation between individualism/individualisme may also reflect a difference between French and American values. What do you think? Along these lines, Pauline said that "[in France] we don't have the culture of the self-made man". What do you mean by this? How do you think that the French and American cultures differ in this aspect? How would French people react to an "American self-made man" that suddenly moves to France?

Sébastien, sorry, I am not sure I understood your sentence correctly. "Une personne agissant seule" means "a person acting alone", right? I would say that an individualist takes decisions by himself, but generally taking input from other people. He can work in a group as well, but would actively express his opinion and influence the group. For me an individualist could be described as an active freethinker (please others correct me if you disagree).

Perhaps we should look a little deeper at the definition of individualism. What are the French connotations with the word "individual"? In America, an individual is someone who chooses to be unique, but in a very non-isolating way. In France, if someone is referred to as an individual, are they seen as isolated? Does a French individual choose their independence or is it a title given to them, such as an outcast? American's take pride in being individuals. Do the French share this pride?

For instance, would you label a person who tries to sabotage their coworkers in order to look better for the boss as an individual?

Or would you consider a person who is sick of their job so they decide to open up their own restaurant as an individual?

In America the first would be a cheater, but the second would be a daring individual.

I think that John McCain could be an example of an individualist. He has a reputation of often acting independently of his political party, according to what he thinks he is the right thing to do. Or maybe also Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, who once quit Apple (a company he founded) after a dispute with other top leaders, and moved to found new companies and make Pixar (the company that made "Finding Nemo", "Ratatouille" or "Wall-E") into a huge business success. He later returned to Apple. He gave a famous commencement speech in Stanford in 2005, about having initiative, being optimistic, and moving forward through difficulties in life, which I think portrays an attitude that most Americans would look up to. I find the tone of the speech to also be very "American" (motivational and highly emotional).

Let me just reproduce an extract of Steve Jobs' speech, which I think describes American sense of individualism:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."